HAUT, Amsterdam

On 20 July 2016, the municipality of Amsterdam selected Team V Architectuur to develop HAUT, the tallest timber tower in the world.

The 21-storey, 73 m, timberresidential building will be located in Amstelkwartier, a new residential neighbourhood on the River Amstel, and will provide 55 apartments of different sizes.

The design is characterised by strong lines of light grey floor bands and tall windows, with cantilevering balconies arranged in an apparently random pattern. The timberceilings below the balconies and the pronounced projections at the sharp building corner facing the River Amstel will add to HAUT’s distinctive appearance.

Team V Architectuur join other firms including ARUP, Lingotto and brand partner Netherlands Energy Company (NLE), to develop what is expected to be a prototype for building a timberhigh-rise in a sustainable and eco-friendly way.

The design of the tower is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating, the highest possible sustainability grade. The aim is for more than 3 million kg of carbon dioxide to be stored in the cross-laminated timber that is used to build HAUT. The design also includes energy-generating facades and wastewater collection and purification.

The name HAUT derives from ‘haute couture’ – tailor-made architecture. Residents of the high-rise will have considerable freedom of choice in terms of the apartment size, number of floors, lay-out and positioning of double height spaces, and balconies.